Our mission is to serve, empower, and represent the undergraduate students of the University of ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ.
Our values
We respect that students are the stakeholders of the ½ûÂþÌìÌà and the primary reason for our existence.Ìý
Our vision
To support a united and empowered undergraduate community where students pursue both learning and personal fulfillment and provide a campus with diverse and numerable opportunities for pleasurable and meaningful life experiences.Ìý
For students, by students
When you become an undergraduate student at the University of ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, you automatically become a member of WUSA. You gain access to a number of services, supports, and social activities that are tailored to your needs.
As your undergraduate student association, the services and support we offer are driven by you.
Join the conversation
You can bring topics for discussion, join the conversation, and vote for change at our regular General Meetings, as well as vote on the student leaders who fill the elected student positions that are your official advocates and change makers on campus.
Your leaders
WUSA Board of Directors are here to help steer the direction of WUSA and make sure the collective voice of undergrads is heard. Any ½ûÂþÌìÌà undergrad can run for a position on the Board.
Get involved- work with WUSA!
There are also a variety of volunteer and part-time positions available within the organization that provide hands-on opportunities to get involved, including 13 student-run services, commissioners, event coordinators, and clubs support. There are also opportunities to get involved with your faculty’s student society.
Our story
The ½ûÂþÌìÌà started over 50 years ago as the ‘Federation of Students’ in response to undergraduate student concerns that were going unheard. The name ‘Federation of Students’ was inspired by Canada’s Centennial of Confederation, according to founding members Richard Van Veldhuisen and Dr. Gerry Mueller.Ìý
“We didn’t want to use ‘council’ because we had already had that, and this was going to be something different,†Mueller said. “Because it was Canada’s Centennial that year [1967], everyone’s mind was on Confederation which lead to ‘Federation,’ so I think it also came from that.â€Ìý
And so, the Federation of Students, affectionately known as Feds, was born in 1967 and since that time students have collectively been working together to help shape the undergrad experience, both in and outside the classroom, on the University of ½ûÂþÌìÌà campus. In 2019, the organization started exploring ways to develop a new perception on campus that more clearly represents who we are and what we do, thereby building a stronger relationship with our members. Then came an organizational rebrand where ‘Federation of Students – Feds’ became ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ, or WUSA.Ìý
For more than 50 years, WUSA has represented the undergraduate student voice on advocacy issues like tuition, housing, campus safety, and transit. It has also evolved to include other initiatives to meet changing student needs as our student population has grown and diversified. In addition to advocacy work, essential services and support and opportunities to develop campus community has made our association into a supportive core of campus for undergraduate students.Ìý
WUSA is now lead by a Board of 13 Directors, has over 200 volunteer and part-time staff roles for students, facilitates 11 student-run services, supports over 250 and several Faculty and program-specific student societies, operates a number of businesses, and facilitates special events like Orientation and Welcome Weeks.Ìý